Thyrotropin-releasing hormone exerts rapid nuclear effects to increase production of the primary prolactin mRNA transcript.
This report directly documents that a polypeptide hormone can regulate specific gene expression as a consequence of increasing the levels of a primary genomic transcript. The regulation and expression of the prolactin gene was studied in a cell line (GH4) derived from a rat pituitary tumor. These cells respond to addition of the hypothalamic tripeptide, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH; thyroliberin), by elevation of the levels of mature prolactin mRNA and increase in prolactin biosynthesis. The message induction is preceded by, and apparently consequential to, a comparable rapid increase in the nuclear prolactin RNA precursors, including the putative primary transcript.
D000818:Animals; D002460:Cell Line; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004274:DNA, Recombinant / Q000378:metabolism; D005796:Genes / Q000187:drug effects*; D007700:Kinetics; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms; D011388:Prolactin / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics*; D051381:Rats; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014158:Transcription, Genetic / Q000187:drug effects*
D004274:DNA, Recombinant; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011388:Prolactin